‘Kogi will be free of polio in 6 years’

Mrs Blessing Ameh, Health Educator, Kogi State Ministry of Health, said on Saturday that the state was free of polio for upward of six years without new cases.

Ameh said this in an interview in Lokoja, attributing the success story to routine polio immunisation exercises.

The health educator said that more efforts were still needed to protect the children from re-infection.

According to her, the first round of the exercise this year will hold between Feb. 27 and March 1.

“The National immunization plus days for this year is here again. It is a time whereby vaccinators go from house to house, school to school, market places, churches and mosques.

“Other areas to be visited include Fulani settlements, play grounds orphanage homes, prisons, designated health centres nearest to you and every special places where children ages 0-5years are found,’’ she said.

Ameh said those category of children were to be immunise with oral polio and other childhood killer diseases vaccines.

“Polio disease is very bad, it cripples children for life; causes of polio are polio virus through contaminated food or water by feaces of an infected person.

“Polio has no cure it can only be prevented,’’ she said.

Ameh, therefore, urged parents to make their wards available for the exercise.

She added that the slogan for this year’s exercise is: “Let’s keep Kogi free of polio forever. Inform your friends and relations.’